Detroit Tigers shortstop Stephen Lombardozzi (4), third baseman Nick Castellanos (9) and second baseman Ian Kinsler (3) all move in for a fly ball hit by Atlanta Braves' B.J. Upton in the first inning of a spring exhibition baseball game, Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2014, in Kissimmee, Fla. Upton was out on the play. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

They turned what had been a closely-contested first half in 2011 with the Cleveland Indians into a rout.

In 2012, the White Sox led the Tigers by three games with 16 remaining. Chicago then started losing night after night, while the Tigers won just enough, and took the division title before advancing to the World Series.

Last season, the Tigers finished just a game ahead of Cleveland in the final standings. While the race was a bit close for comfort, it was also misleading. The Tigers won it relatively easily, clinching long before the end of the season.

Advertisement

If you notice the Tigers’ old nemesis, the Minnesota Twins, are not on the list, it’s because the Twins have struggled in recent years, and aren’t nearly as threatening as they used to be. Neither are the White Sox, who have had the Tigers’ number at times, too, in the past.

The Indians and the emerging Royals are the concerns, the Indians because they seem to have found a way to win with Terry Francona as manager, and the Royals because they feature developing young stars and what was arguably the best bullpen in the American League in ’13.

While they have had enough to win the AL Central the last three years, the Tigers came up short in the postseason. The Tigers were unbalanced. The Tigers have improved their balance in regard to overall team speed and range defensively, but at the cost of power.

It’s the tricky part of the equation. Not being satisfied with being eventually knocked out of the postseason each year is the proper tactic. Yet, it can also backfire if the Tigers have changed to the point where they don’t win the division.

It’s much more important to win the division now than before a second wildcard team was added, with essentially a one-game play-in game being the fate for the two wildcard entries.

Last season, the Tigers beat Cleveland 15 of 19 times. It will be interesting to see how much bearing not having Prince Fielder in the lineup will have the Tigers against the Indians. Fielder hit 38 percent of the Tigers home runs from the left side of the plate in ’13. While he hit only .240 against the Indians last season, his OPS was nearly .800 against Cleveland. The Indians pitched around Fielder as much as any team.

The Tigers don’t have a lot of left-handed hitting. It’s Victor Martinez, Alex Avila and Andy Dirks. Ian KInsler and Nick Castellanos, the big additions to Detroit’s every day lineup, are right-handed hitters.

The Indians’ strength is right-handed starting pitching. Justin Masterson, Corey Kluber and the very hard-throwing Danny Salazar all are tough against right-handed hitters.

The Indians are lacking that one big bat in the middle of their lineup, a genuine star like Miguel Cabrera, and their bullpen has its share of issues, including a question mark at closer, but they should be formidable.

The Royals and their bullpen may be even more so. It’s odd how the Royals struggle offensively because they have their share of marquee players (Alex Gordon and Billy Butler) and young standouts (catcher Salvador Perez is one of MLB’s most underrated potential stars). The Royals have added Omar Infante and Norichika Aoki, which could bolster their offense, but beyond James Shields, the Royals’ starting pitching is still underwhelming.

The key for the Royals will be third baseman Mike Moustakas and first baseman Eric Hosmer. Both were considered baseball’s next stars a few years ago when the Royals’ minor league system was being overly celebrated. Moustakas has been a huge disappointment and Hosmer has been inconsistent.

While the Tigers are still clear favorites in the AL Central, their margin for error is not as big as it had been. They got away with sluggish play for extended periods the last three years.

It likely won’t be as easy to win the division that way in 2014.

Nobody is suggesting the Indians and Royals are elite MLB teams, but they should be better.

It means the Tigers likely will have to be this regular season, as well.

About the Author

Pat Caputo has written as a beat writer and sports columnist for The Oakland Press since 1984 and blogs at http://patcaputo.blogspot.com/. Reach the author at pat.caputo@oakpress.com
or follow Pat on Twitter: @PatCaputo98.